Eenaldo solano



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1 R. SOLANO.

AUIEOHKA'I'IG AIR-BRAKE.

Patented Jan. 24, 1888.

WITNESSES:

w E N R, 0 T

I (Ho Mode-L.) 1 2Sheetsj-Sheet 2..

R. S'O'LANO.

AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE.

No. 376,970. Patentd Jan; "24, 1 888.

UNITED STATES PATENT ,Orrrca RENALDO SOLANO, 0F. BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO HOWARD a MORSE, OF-

NEW YORK, AND DAVID R. MORSE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK;

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE SPECIFICATION forming. part of Letters Patent 116376.970, dated January 24, less.

' I 1 Application filed August 11, 1887.

To aZZ whom, it may concern: Be it known that I, RENALDO SoLANo, a

citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in'the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Automatic Air- Brakes, of which the following is aspecification, that will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to understand and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which brake apparatus in which stored pressure is rendered active'upon the braking appliances automatically by the reduction of pressure in the train-pipes. i

The invention consists in a method by which the control of the engineer is extended to a variable degree of brake application predetermined by noting the reductionof pressure indicated by the train-pipe gage, the produced effect'corresponding to that described in my application for a patent filed July 5, 1887, Serial No. 243,317. The actuating mechan ism for the brake-cylinder valves in the present instance is balanced between the opposing pressurese-namely, the stored pressure and the train-pipe pressure-so that the reduction of either shall actuate the said valves,and

' that a given reduction of train-pipe pressure site sides of the brake-piston. r

may be employed to predermine the extent of brake-stroke by limiting'both the period of cylinder-exhaust and theperiod of brakingpressure application simultaneously on oppo- In'Fig. 1, A is the pressure train-pipe, re ceiving its charge from the main reservoir B and air-compressor 0, under control of the engineers operating valve D, located usually upon the locomotive, the escapepipe E atfording alternate means of discharging pressure from said train-pipeA when the operating-valve D is moved for that purpose. F is Serial No. 24,fi46. (Nomodel) a vacuum train-pipe from which the" atmosv v pheric pressure normally containedthereinjs withdrawnby means of the ejector G, thelatter'being of any wellknown construction.

- The vacuum train-pipe F aud diaphragms e, Fig. 2, are employed as ani'ndependent means for operating the brake-cylinder valves, and,

are made a part of the subject-matter of a separatewapplication tobe filed. The said train-pipes are provided atlheirjunctions be tween the cars with the usual fie'xible'pipecouplings. H, and are alsoprovided at thesei points with cocks L'thosc grearmost ot the train being kept closed. J Jare the anxiliary'or storage reservoirs provided to each brake apparatus,'located-beneath the severalcars, and K the brake-cylinders, the latter 7 being of. ordinary double-act; ing construction, as shown by the sectioned cylinder, and connected tov the brake-leversso as to apply the brake when theopis'tonsmove in the direction indicated by arrows.

Referring to' Fig. 2, the several pip'es a j j and the pipe f correspond to those similarly designated in Fig. 1, and theconnections of the same will therefore be understood. By

the arrangement of valve ports shown the train-pipe pressure (of chamber a and the storage-reservoir pressure (of chamber 3' are alternately connective to the corresponding sides ofthe brake cylindernamely, the release side a and the braking side j", respectively-{he common exhaust-port h relieving the disconnected side in eachinstance by 'c'on'imunication to the atmosphere. The .valves 11 and c are cylindrical and of sufficient length to give therequired area of ports,and, having' a s mall diameter, oscillate,-by the shifting move- 7 mentof the piston d or diaphragm e and valve- I stem 9. with minimum friction. The check;

valve-i is provided to prevent back-pressure from the cylinder-chamber a from filling the train-pipe awhen pressure'is reduced in the latter and during the shifting movementof the valve b. The brake-cylinder valves are ,here shown intheposition whereby brakerelease is effected and the storage-pressure re- 7 charged, the opposite or braking position .be-

ing indicated by the dotted lines, the corre y J 7 sponding movements of the fluid currentsbe-i ing indicated by the full lined and dotted arrows, respectively. The normal position of the brake-cylinder valvesis that of mid-stroke, which is assumed after the equalization of pressures upon the valve-piston d,which event is incident to the termination of a predetermined braking stroke or to the completion of the storage-reservoircharging operation, the action ofaspring, L,hereinafter described, returning the piston d in the latter instance. The valve-pistou d fits its cylinder air-tight,

separating the train-pipe chamber a from the reservoir-chamber j, excepting at the position of downstroke, at which time the enlarged portion of the cylinder at Z and pistonpassages in opposite the packing a permit the pressure restoration. The packings n 0 are designed to act as cushions to terminate the valve'piston stroke.

The retarding spring L insures against passage of the downward valve-stroke beyond, mid-position during the return movement of the piston d, incident to the automatic limitation of brake -stroke. The washer s of the spring L slides loosely on the valve-stem g and abuts against the block 11, except when disengaged therewith by the retention of its shoulder against the adjustable bushing t, through which its sleeve part moves. it is to be understood, however, that the spring L is not an essential feature of the apparatus, the return movement aforesaid ofthe valve-piston 62 being otherwise arrested at midst'roke by the cessation of storage-pressure reduction through the valve 0 at the moment of cut off.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The train-pipe A, pipe a, valve-chamber a, cylinder-pipe a, and release side a of the brakecylinder are charged to the air or other fluid working pressure of the reservoir B through the engineefls valve D, the, parts assuming the position shown by Fig. 2 until the reservoir J is charged, and subsequently the position of mid-stroke. To set the brake with full application, the pressure is released from the train-pipe A by the engineers valve, the

valve-piston d automatically shifted to the position d, and there retained by the reservoirpressu re,permittin g the latter to enter through the valve 0 to the braking sidej of the brake- L cylinder, the opposite chamber, a, thereof discharging its pressure to the atmosphere through valve 1). To set the brakes with a limited application,thetrain-pipe (A) pressure is reduced to a degree known to correspond with the reduction of the storage-pressure by expansion when the brake-piston has reached the desired intermediate point of stroke. The valve piston d is thereby automatically shifted to the position (1, and there retained until the equalization takes place, when the continued reduction on the reservoir side 3 causes the return movement of said valve-piston, sufficient to close all portcommunication and lock the brakepiston between the confined pressures within the cylinder-chambers.

The brake-release is effected in either of the aforesaid instances by the restoration of trainpipe pressure from the main reservoir B.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an automatic fluid brake system, the method described of first reducing the controllable pressure to a desired degree, which allows the opposite stored air to act until reduced by expansion below the controllable pressure; second, closing communication of the stored and controllable pressure with the brake-cylinder, which retains the respective pressures therein, the "alve-piston being arrested and held by the action of an auxiliary resisting-pressure and the stored air on one side and the controllable pressure on the other, and,third, exhausting either fluid-pressure from the brake-cylinder, so that the opposite ii nid-pressu re has full ei'fect.

RENALDO SOLANO.

\Vitnesses:

C. V. FORBES,

AUG. CREVELING. 

